AFIELD Forum: Systems Change by Artists – Announcements

For its ten-year anniversary, the AFIELD network is launching a new public forum on systems change led by artists. The ongoing multiscalar crisis urges the arts and cultural field to take more concrete actions towards social and environmental justice. Aligning with its mission, AFIELD is embarking on a three-year cycle of international gatherings bringing new perspectives on the role of art in society.

The AFIELD Forum will gather an international cohort of artists, activists, thinkers, cultural workers, and social entrepreneurs around a set of questions: how, why and should artists bring systems change for a better society? What do artists bring when they take on the roles of NGOs, educators, activists, and active agents involved in social transformation? 

AFIELD has developed the themes for the forum over the past years via online studies on key issues, such as transitional justice, ableism, ethics of representation, the commons and more. The AFIELD Forum will serve as a meeting point to inquire on these urgent questions, embodying the network’s belief in the profound capacity of artists to lead transformational change in their communities.

As the capital of Europe and the heart of a unique ecosystem of grassroots initiatives and NGOs, the city of Brussels is a natural host for this forum. The program is based on encounters between international guests and Brussels hosts. The forum is spread around different cultural spaces in Brussels and the last day is dedicated to walking tours of this ecosystem.

The list of speakers includes: Ambassade Universelle, Martha Atienza, Anna Dantes, El Warcha, Analida Galindo, Anand Giridharadas, Ola Hassanain, Helena Kritis, Giuseppe Micciarelli, Eileen Myles, Majaw Njaay, Sergio Roberto Gratteri, Sahad Sarr, Marina Tabassum, Toestand, Transfocollect, Ana Vargas.

The forum is free of charge and the audience is limited to the capacity of the venue. Register and receive the full program here.

The AFIELD Forum is a project by AFIELD co-produced with KANAL-Centre Pompidou, in partnership with CIVA, Établissements A. Dewitte & Filles and BC Architects.

Facilitated by Diana Campbell, Grégory Castéra, Taeyoon Choi, Abi Tariq, Sandra Terdjman, and Chantal Wong.

AFIELD emerged in 2014 as a support structure for social initiatives by artists, gathering a network with members from more than 40 countries who share financial resources, study together, and support each other. AFIELD annually gives fellowships to artists and cultural practitioners who have initiated social projects. The 2024 fellows will be announced during this forum.

Learn more about AFIELD here.